Get Involved - Cathro reaction

'Feel sorry for Ian Cathro'

Michael Stewart

Former Hearts captain and now BBC Sport Scotland pundit

Posted at12:25

"It was
just a matter of time, quite clearly Saturday’s result was the defining game.
But there’s a bigger picture here. To a certain extent I feel sorry for Ian
Cathro, he was so clearly not adequate for the job and his shortcomings were
clear for everybody to see.

"The bigger picture for me is the management
structure above that put Ian Cathro in the position because it was such a
glaring mistake. It was a guy who was drowning in the position he was in and I
look up above him and he seemed to get very little support publicly from his
boss, and his boss has now fired him. How can sacking a head coach days before
the start of the season not draw the question of how did he see this as a good
appointment?

"You’ve given him the summer, recruited players, given him
pre-season to work with players and sack him days before the start of the
league season. That is an indictment on the judgement of that director of
football."

Hearts' director of football Craig Levein has yet to comment on today's developments.

Get Involved - Cathro's successor?

'Thunder in the Tynecastle stands'

Tom English

Chief sports writer, BBC Scotland

Posted at11:00

"Tynecastle was an angry place on Saturday in the wake of
Hearts' exit from the Betfred Cup. The thunder screamed out of the stands at
Ian Cathro who cut a lonely figure as he exited the stage for what turned out
to be the last time. Maybe he knew in his heart of hearts that the game was up.
When your own fans turn against so completely then there's nowhere to go but
the exit door.

"Cathro's appointment was a gamble worth taking, but
clearly it's been an awful failure. Over the course of his reign Hearts have
performed like relegation fodder instead of a side trying to push towards
European football. There isn't a single
thing you can offer in his defence. This experiment had to end."

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BBC Sport Scotland Facebook comments

John Clark: I'm a Celtic fan and I think that this is a joke. We all have our own views and mine was I honestly thought in this coming season he would improve them.

Steve Brockie: Probably the right call but a total shambles they've got themselves into, days before the league season starts. No manager and a bunch of his [Cathro's] signings to work with. Craig Levein should have left as well - his appointment - his responsibility ultimately.

Scottie Taylor: Peter Houston in with a shout if it's Craig Levein's call - he and Levein have history at Dundee United and did well there. Tough for a new guy going in, will have to work with what he's got and get a good start.

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Costly League Cup campaign...

Former Newcastle United, Valencia and Rio Ave coach Ian Cathro was appointed head coach at Tynecastle in December, working under the club's director of football Craig Levein.

The Scot oversaw a 2-0 defeat away to Rangers in his first game, and in the 22 Premiership matches he was in charge last term his side lost 13, drew four and won five.

As a result, the Jambos finished fifth and missed out on a spot in Europe.

His side were also knocked out of the Scottish Cup in a replay against city rivals Hibernian.

SNS

Cathro was backed in the summer as the club brought in a number of new faces, including Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty and Scotland defender Christophe Berra.

The Gorgie men open their Premiership campaign at Celtic Park on Saturday, but results in the League Cup appear to have cost Cathro.

Hearts started the group stage with wins over Elgin City and East Fife but lost at League One outfit Peterhead and then drew 2-2 with Dunfermline, losing the resulting penalty shootout and crashing out of the tournament.

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BBC Sport Scotland Facebook comments

Darren Knowles: Now the pressure is on whoever comes in because it'll be Cathro's signings he'll need to deal with. There won't be much money in the pot for new signings after having to pay to get shot of the manager!

Morag Abercrombie: I think we have a decent squad with another midfielder and new goalkeeper. I'm certain a more experienced manager will get more out of them. I would like to see Michael O'Neill considered and keep Austin McPhee but not sure he would work with Craig Levein in the background. As long as it's not another experiment.

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Cathro was coy over his future

Posted at10:10

Cathro's final game in charge was the League Cup draw with second-tier Dunfermline Athletic on Saturday - followed by a penalty shoot-out defeat - a result that saw the Edinburgh club out of the competition.

Following the game, Cathro declined to comment on his future.

"Of course things need to improve," Cathro, 31, told BBC Scotland.

"It's important that today we just talk about today's game. It doesn't need to be anything that's more grand than that."

When asked if he had a message for the fans who made their feelings known as Cathro headed down the tunnel following the Dunfermline defeat, he said he will "not waste my time making comments or asking for anything".

He added: "I don't say anything, I will quietly continue to do my job professionally, believing in the work that we do.

"If we had the urgency and intensity that we did when we felt that we needed to push at the end for the entirety of the 90 minutes then we'd be discussing a different situation."

SNS

Cathro's final game in charge was the League Cup draw with Dunfermline last weekend

Cathro leaves Hearts

Hearts have parted company with head coach Ian Cathro after seven months in charge.

The 31-year-old, who was in his first managerial role, appears to have paid the price for a shock League Cup exit.

A Hearts statement read: "The board wishes it to be known that this was a very difficult decision, reluctantly made, as every member of the board recognises Ian is an extremely talented young coach with a very bright future.

"We thank Ian for all of his efforts and wish him well in the future."

PA

Ian Cathro's Hearts tenure has drawn to a close after only seven months in charge